scholarly journals Freshwater Suspended Sediments and Sewage Are Reservoirs for Enterotoxin-Positive Clostridium perfringens

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (16) ◽  
pp. 5556-5562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina R. Mueller-Spitz ◽  
Lisa B. Stewart ◽  
J. Val Klump ◽  
Sandra L. McLellan
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Lake Michigan ◽  
Suspended Sediments ◽  
Fecal Pollution ◽  
Gene Arrangement ◽  
Toxin Gene ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Enterotoxin Genes ◽  
Species Specific

ABSTRACT The release of fecal pollution into surface waters may create environmental reservoirs of feces-derived microorganisms, including pathogens. Clostridium perfringens is a commonly used fecal indicator that represents a human pathogen. The pathogenicity of this bacterium is associated with its expression of multiple toxins; however, the prevalence of C. perfringens with various toxin genes in aquatic environments is not well characterized. In this study, C. perfringens spores were used to measure the distribution of fecal pollution associated with suspended sediments in the nearshore waters of Lake Michigan. Particle-associated C. perfringens levels were greatest adjacent to the Milwaukee harbor and diminished in the nearshore waters. Species-specific PCR and toxin gene profiles identified 174 isolates collected from the suspended sediments, surface water, and sewage influent as C. perfringens type A. Regardless of the isolation source, the beta2 and enterotoxin genes were common among isolates. The suspended sediments yielded the highest frequency of cpe-carrying C. perfringens (61%) compared to sewage (38%). Gene arrangement of enterotoxin was investigated using PCR to target known insertion sequences associated with this gene. Amplification products were detected in only 9 of 90 strains, which suggests there is greater variability in cpe gene arrangement than previously described. This work presents evidence that freshwater suspended sediments and sewage influent are reservoirs for potentially pathogenic cpe-carrying C. perfringens spores.

scholarly journals Bifidobacteria in Feces and Environmental Waters

2007 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 575-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina Lamendella ◽  
Jorge W. Santo Domingo ◽  
Catherine Kelty ◽  
Daniel B. Oerther
Keyword(s):  
Natural Waters ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Anaerobic Bacteria ◽  
Fecal Pollution ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Environmental Waters ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
Bifidobacterium Adolescentis ◽  
Indicator Group ◽  
Species Specific

ABSTRACT Bifidobacteria have been recommended as potential indicators of human fecal pollution in surface waters even though very little is known about their presence in nonhuman fecal sources. The objective of this research was to shed light on the occurrence and molecular diversity of this fecal indicator group in different animals and environmental waters. Genus- and species-specific 16S rRNA gene PCR assays were used to study the presence of bifidobacteria among 269 fecal DNA extracts from 32 different animals. Twelve samples from three wastewater treatment plants and 34 water samples from two fecally impacted watersheds were also tested. The species-specific assays showed that Bifidobacterium adolescentis, B. bifidum, B. dentium, and B. catenulatum had the broadest host distribution (11.9 to 17.4%), whereas B. breve, B. infantis, and B. longum were detected in fewer than 3% of all fecal samples. Phylogenetic analysis of 356 bifidobacterial clones obtained from different animal feces showed that ca. 67% of all of the sequences clustered with cultured bifidobacteria, while the rest formed a supercluster with low sequence identity (i.e., <94%) to previously described Bifidobacterium spp. The B. pseudolongum subcluster (>97% similarity) contained 53 fecal sequences from seven different animal hosts, suggesting the cosmopolitan distribution of members of this clade. In contrast, two clades containing B. thermophilum and B. boum clustered exclusively with 37 and 18 pig fecal clones, respectively, suggesting host specificity. Using species-specific assays, bifidobacteria were detected in only two of the surface water DNA extracts, although other fecal anaerobic bacteria were detected in these waters. Overall, the results suggest that the use of bifidobacterial species as potential markers to monitor human fecal pollution in natural waters may be questionable.

scholarly journals Prevalence of β2-Toxigenic Clostridium perfringens in Horses with Intestinal Disorders

1999 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 358-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornelia Herholz ◽  
Raymond Miserez ◽  
Jacques Nicolet ◽  
Joachim Frey ◽  
Michel Popoff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Strong Evidence ◽  
Fecal Sample ◽  
Intestinal Wall ◽  
Intestinal Disease ◽  
Toxin Gene ◽  
Biopsy Specimens ◽  
Enterotoxin Genes ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Interesting Correlation

The incidence of a new, yet unassigned toxin type ofClostridium perfringens containing the genes for the α-toxin and the recently described β2-toxin in horses with intestinal disorders is reported. The study included 18 horses suffering from typical typhlocolitis, 7 horses with atypical typhlocolitis, 16 horses with other intestinal disorders, and 58 horses without intestinal disease. In total, 20 samples of ingesta of the small and large intestines, five biopsy specimens of the intestinal wall, and 74 fecal samples were analyzed bacteriologically. C. perfringens isolates were typed for the presence of the α-, β-, β2-, and ɛ-toxin and enterotoxin genes by PCR, including a newly developed PCR for the detection of the β2-toxin genecpb2. β2-Toxigenic C. perfringens was detected in samples from 13 of 25 (52%) horses with typical or atypical typhlocolitis, with a particularly high incidence in specimens of ingesta and biopsy specimens (75%), whereas only 6 of 16 specimens from horses with other intestinal diseases yielded β2-toxigenicC. perfringens. No β2-toxigenic C. perfringens was found in the samples from the 58 control horses, of which only one fecal sample contained C. perfringenstype A. Among the samples from the 15 horses with fatal cases of typical and atypical typhlocolitis 9 (60%) were positive for β2-toxigenic C. perfringens, whereas samples from only 4 of the 10 (40%) animals with nonfatal cases of infection were positive. We found an interesting correlation between the antibiotic-treated horses which were positive for β2-toxigenicC. perfringens and lethal progression of the disease. NoC. perfringens strains isolated in this study contained genes for the β- and ɛ-toxins and enterotoxin. The high incidence of β2-toxigenic C. perfringens in samples of ingesta, biopsy specimens of the intestinal wall, and feces from horses suffering or dying from typhlocolitis together with the absence of this organism in healthy horses provides strong evidence that β2-toxigenicC. perfringens play an important role in the pathogenesis of typhlocolitis.

A species-specific PCR forLactobacillus inersdemonstrates a relative specificity of this species for vaginal colonization

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed A. Alqumber ◽  
Jeremy P. Burton ◽  
Celia Devenish ◽  
John R. Tagg
Keyword(s):  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Vaginal Colonization ◽  
Relative Specificity ◽  
Species Specific

scholarly journals Survey on Perkinsus Species in Manila Clam Ruditapes philippinarum in Korean Waters Using Species-Specific PCR

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 202-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun-Sil Kang ◽  
Hyun-Sung Yang ◽  
Kimberly S. Reece ◽  
Young-Ghan Cho ◽  
Hye-Mi Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ruditapes Philippinarum ◽  
Manila Clam ◽  
Korean Waters ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Species Specific

scholarly journals Lachnospiraceae and Bacteroidales Alternative Fecal Indicators Reveal Chronic Human Sewage Contamination in an Urban Harbor

2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (19) ◽  
pp. 6972-6981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan J. Newton ◽  
Jessica L. VandeWalle ◽  
Mark A. Borchardt ◽  
Marc H. Gorelick ◽  
Sandra L. McLellan
Keyword(s):  
Sequence Analysis ◽  
Genetic Marker ◽  
Microbial Community Composition ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Fecal Pollution ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Fecal Indicators ◽  
Fecal Indicator ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTThe complexity of fecal microbial communities and overlap among human and other animal sources have made it difficult to identify source-specific fecal indicator bacteria. However, the advent of next-generation sequencing technologies now provides increased sequencing power to resolve microbial community composition within and among environments. These data can be mined for information on source-specific phylotypes and/or assemblages of phylotypes (i.e., microbial signatures). We report the development of a new genetic marker for human fecal contamination identified through microbial pyrotag sequence analysis of the V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Sequence analysis of 37 sewage samples and comparison with database sequences revealed a human-associated phylotype within theLachnospiraceaefamily, which was closely related to the genusBlautia. This phylotype, termed Lachno2, was on average the second most abundant fecal bacterial phylotype in sewage influent samples from Milwaukee, WI. We developed a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for Lachno2 and used it along with the qPCR-based assays for humanBacteroidales(based on the HF183 genetic marker), totalBacteroidalesspp., and enterococci and the conventionalEscherichia coliand enterococci plate count assays to examine the prevalence of fecal and human fecal pollution in Milwaukee's harbor. Both the conventional fecal indicators and the human-associated indicators revealed chronic fecal pollution in the harbor, with significant increases following heavy rain events and combined sewer overflows. The two human-associated genetic marker abundances were tightly correlated in the harbor, a strong indication they target the same source (i.e., human sewage). Human adenoviruses were routinely detected under all conditions in the harbor, and the probability of their occurrence increased by 154% for every 10-fold increase in the human indicator concentration. Both Lachno2 and humanBacteroidalesincreased specificity to detect sewage compared to general indicators, and the relationship to a human pathogen group suggests that the use of these alternative indicators will improve assessments for human health risks in urban waters.

scholarly journals Development and Validation of a Nested-PCR-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis Method for Taxonomic Characterization of Bifidobacterial Communities

2003 ◽  
Vol 69 (11) ◽  
pp. 6380-6385 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Temmerman ◽  
L. Masco ◽  
T. Vanhoutte ◽  
G. Huys ◽  
J. Swings
Keyword(s):  
Nested Pcr ◽  
Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Temporal Changes ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Taxonomic Characterization

ABSTRACT The taxonomic characterization of a bacterial community is difficult to combine with the monitoring of its temporal changes. None of the currently available identification techniques are able to visualize a “complete” community, whereas techniques designed for analyzing bacterial ecosystems generally display limited or labor-intensive identification potential. This paper describes the optimization and validation of a nested-PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) approach for the species-specific analysis of bifidobacterial communities from any ecosystem. The method comprises a Bifidobacterium-specific PCR step, followed by purification of the amplicons that serve as template DNA in a second PCR step that amplifies the V3 and V6-V8 regions of the 16S rRNA gene. A mix of both amplicons is analyzed on a DGGE gel, after which the band positions are compared with a previously constructed database of reference strains. The method was validated through the analysis of four artificial mixtures, mimicking the possible bifidobacterial microbiota of the human and chicken intestine, a rumen, and the environment, and of two fecal samples. Except for the species Bifidobacterium coryneforme and B. indicum, all currently known bifidobacteria originating from various ecosystems can be identified in a highly reproducible manner. Because no further cloning and sequencing of the DGGE bands is necessary, this nested-PCR-DGGE technique can be completed within a 24-h span, allowing the species-specific monitoring of temporal changes in the bifidobacterial community.

Regulation of toxin gene expression in Clostridium perfringens

2015 ◽  
Vol 166 (4) ◽  
pp. 280-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaori Ohtani ◽  
Tohru Shimizu
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Toxin Gene ◽  
Toxin Gene Expression

scholarly journals Multiplex PCR with 16S rRNA Gene-Targeted Primers of Bifidobacterium spp. To Identify Sources of Fecal Pollution

2004 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 3171-3175 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Bonjoch ◽  
E. Ballesté ◽  
A. R. Blanch
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Multiplex Pcr ◽  
Fecal Pollution ◽  
Sensitivity Threshold ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Specific Primers ◽  
Animal Wastewater ◽  
Wastewater Samples ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Different Origins

ABSTRACT Bifidobacteria are one of the most common bacterial types found in the intestines of humans and other animals and may be used as indicators of human fecal pollution. The presence of nine human-related Bifidobacterium species was analyzed in human and animal wastewater samples of different origins by using species-specific primers based on 16S rRNA sequences. Only B. adolescentis and B. dentium were found exclusively in human sewage. A multiplex PCR approach with strain-specific primers was developed. The method showed a sensitivity threshold of 10 cells/ml. This new molecular method could provide useful information for the characterization of fecal pollution sources.

scholarly journals First Report of Orange Rust of Sugarcane Caused by Puccinia kuehnii in Colombia

Plant Disease ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Cadavid ◽  
J. C. Ángel ◽  
J. I. Victoria
Keyword(s):  
Internal Transcribed Spacer ◽  
Pcr Primers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Optical Microscope ◽  
First Report ◽  
5.8S Rdna ◽  
Specific Pcr ◽  
Plant Pathol ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
New Cultivars

Symptoms of sugarcane orange rust were first observed in July 2010 on sugarcane (interspecific hybrid of Saccharum L. species) cv. CC 01-1884 planted in the La Cabaña Sugar Mill, Puerto Tejada, Colombia. Morphological features of uredinial lesions and urediniospores inspected with an optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy were distinct from common rust of sugarcane caused by Puccinia melanocephala Syd. & P. Syd., revealing spores identical morphologically to those described for the fungus P. kuehnii (Kruger) E. Butler, causal agent of sugarcane orange rust (1,3). Uredinial lesions were orange and distinctly lighter in color than pustules of P. melanocephala. Urediniospores were orange to light cinnamon brown, mostly ovoid to pyriform, variable in size (27.3 to 39.2 × 16.7 to 21.2 μm), with pronounced apical wall and moderately echinulate with spines evenly distributed. Paraphyses, telia, and teliospores were not observed. Species-specific PCR primers designed from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS)1, ITS2, and 5.8S rDNA regions of P. melanocephala and P. kuehnii were used to differentiate the two species (2). The primers Pm1-F and Pm1-R amplified a 480-bp product from P. melanocepahala DNA in leaf samples with symptoms of common rust. By contrast, the primers Pk1-F and Pk1-R generated a 527-bp product from presumed P. kuehnii DNA in leaf samples with signs of orange rust, confirming the identity as P. kuehnii. The Centro de Investigación de la Caña de Azúcar de Colombia (Cenicaña) started a survey of different cultivars in nurseries and experimental and commercial fields in the Cauca River Valley and collected leaf samples for additional analyses. Experimental cvs. CC 01-1884, CC 01-1866, and CC 01-1305 were found to be highly susceptible to orange rust and were eliminated from regional trials, whereas commercial cvs. CC 85-92 and CC 84-75, the most widely grown cultivars, were resistant. With the discovery of orange rust of sugarcane in Colombia, Cenicaña has incorporated orange rust resistance in the selection and development of new cultivars. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. kuehnii on sugarcane in Colombia. Orange rust has also been reported from the United States, Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, and Brazil. References: (1) J. C. Comstock et al. Plant Dis. 92:175, 2008. (2) N. C. Glynn et al. Plant Pathol. 59:703, 2010. (3) E. V. Virtudazo et al. Mycoscience 42:167, 2001.

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